US confectionery sector shows strong innovation

According to www.confecionerynews.com, the US confectionery industry has big expectations for the coming year, as the 2006 All Candy Expo demonstrated. The show revealed a number of interesting new product launches from a sector that ranks third among food categories in terms of sales. In 2005, 2,767 new confectionery products were launched, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA). 23% of confectionery sales can be attributed to new products that have debuted in industry in the past twelve months. Dark chocolate clearly remains a consumer favourite and continues to dominate the marketplace. Chewing gum has enjoyed incredible growth, and has been responsible for strong financial results. Sugarless chewing gum remains the favourite, reporting a 6.5% increase. Overall, gum sales rose 4.1% in 2005 (source: IRI). New gum products launched at the show included Ford Gum & Machine Pomegranate Power, Farley s and Sathers Super Bubble Blast, and Cadbury Adam s Stride.